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Patent Application 17865116 - METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MODULATING LIGHTS - Rejection

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Patent Application 17865116 - METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MODULATING LIGHTS

Title: METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MODULATING LIGHTS SOURCES

Application Information

  • Invention Title: METHODS AND APPARATUSES FOR MODULATING LIGHTS SOURCES
  • Application Number: 17865116
  • Submission Date: 2025-05-14T00:00:00.000Z
  • Effective Filing Date: 2022-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
  • Filing Date: 2022-07-14T00:00:00.000Z
  • National Class: 359
  • National Sub-Class: 107000
  • Examiner Employee Number: 98353
  • Art Unit: 2872
  • Tech Center: 2800

Rejection Summary

  • 102 Rejections: 1
  • 103 Rejections: 0

Cited Patents

No patents were cited in this rejection.

Office Action Text


    DETAILED ACTION
Information Disclosure Statement
The three information disclosure statement(s) filed on various dates is/are in compliance with the provisions of 37 CFR 1.97 and is/are being considered by the Examiner.
Priority
Applicant’s claim for the benefit of a prior-filed application under 35 U.S.C. 119(e) or under 35 U.S.C. 120, 121, 365(c), or 386(c) is acknowledged. Applicant has not complied with one or more conditions for receiving the benefit of an earlier filing date under 35 U.S.C. 120 as follows:
The later-filed application must be an application for a patent for an invention which is also disclosed in the prior application (the parent or original nonprovisional application or provisional application). The disclosure of the invention in the parent application and in the later-filed application must be sufficient to comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or the first paragraph of pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 112, except for the best mode requirement. See Transco Products, Inc. v. Performance Contracting, Inc., 38 F.3d 551, 32 USPQ2d 1077 (Fed. Cir. 1994).
The disclosure of the prior-filed application, Application No. 63/222,765, fails to provide adequate support or enablement in the manner provided by 35 U.S.C. 112(a) or pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 112, first paragraph for one or more claims of this application, namely: driving at least a first channel of the AOM at a first frequency between 50 megahertz (MHz) and 350 MHz, and driving at least a second channel of the EOM at a second frequency between 4 gigahertz (GHz) and 6 GHz; wherein driving the at least second channel of the EOM comprises: driving a radio frequency (RF) tone; and driving a microwave tone; wherein driving the microwave tone comprises driving at a Valon frequency (fvalon); wherein driving the RF tone comprises driving at a coherent frequency (fcoh), as recited in claims 3-6, 10-13 and 17-20.
Specification
The disclosure is objected to because of the following informalities: 
The use of the term “Valon” (see pg. 30 (¶00208) of as-filed specification on 07/14/2022) which appears to be a trade name used in commerce, has been noted in this application. The term should be accompanied by the generic terminology; furthermore, the term should be capitalized wherever it appears or, where appropriate, include a proper symbol indicating use in commerce such as ™, ™ , or ® following the term.
Although the use of trade names and marks used in commerce (i.e., trademarks, service marks, certification marks, and collective marks) are permissible in patent applications, the proprietary nature of the marks should be respected and every effort made to prevent their use in any manner which might adversely affect their validity as commercial marks.
Appropriate correction is required.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 112
The following is a quotation of 35 U.S.C. 112(b):
(b)  CONCLUSION.—The specification shall conclude with one or more claims particularly pointing out and distinctly claiming the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor regards as the invention.



Claims 5, 12 and 19 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 112(b) or 35 U.S.C. 112 (pre-AIA ), second paragraph, as being indefinite for failing to particularly point out and distinctly claim the subject matter which the inventor or a joint inventor (or for applications subject to pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 112, the applicant), regards as the invention.
Claims 5, 12 and 19 recite the limitation: “wherein driving the microwave tone comprises driving at a Valon frequency (fvalon)”. It appears that the term “Valon” refers to the trademark or trade name which is used as a limitation in the claims to identify or describe a particular material or product. In the present case, the term is used to describe the microwave frequency generation from a ‘Valon Technology’ synthesizer module, such as e.g., Valon Model 5015 which generates within a frequency range of 10MHz to 15GHz (see product specification in www.valonrf.com/5015-frequency-synthesizer-15ghz.html). As such, the claim(s) does not comply with the requirements of the 35 U.S.C. 112(b)  or pre-AIA  35 U.S.C. 112, second paragraph. Ex parte Simpson, 218 USPQ 1020 (Bd. App. 1982). See also Eli Lilly & Co. v. Apotex, Inc., 837 Fed. Appx. 780, 784-85, 2020 USPQ2d 11531 (Fed. Cir. 2020). The claim scope is uncertain since the trademark or trade name cannot be used properly to describe any particular material or product. In fact, the value of a trademark would be lost to the extent that it became the generic name of a product, rather than used as an identification of a source or origin of a product. Thus, the use of a trademark or trade name in a claim to describe a material or product would not only render a claim indefinite, but would also constitute an improper use of the trademark or trade name. Furthermore, Valon Technology produces a myriad of microwave frequency synthesizer modules with varying ranges for each respective device, which further renders the scope of the claim as unclear and therefore indefinite. Applicant is respectfully reminded that if the applicant responds to such a rejection by replacing the trademark or trade name with a generic term, the examiner will further determine whether there is sufficient support in the application for use of a generic term. See MPEP § 2163, subsection II.A.3(b). In the present case, the specification merely provides an ipsis verbis appearance of the generic claim language with no further elucidation, thereby failing to provide a reasonably clear claim scope or an objective boundary to the present claim language (see pg. 30 (¶00208) of instant disclosure filed 07/14/2022). For the purposes of examination, the limitation will be treated as: “wherein driving the microwave tone comprises driving at microwave frequencies by a microwave source”.
Claim Rejections - 35 USC § 102
The following is a quotation of the appropriate paragraphs of 35 U.S.C. 102 that form the basis for the rejections under this section made in this Office action:
A person shall be entitled to a patent unless –

(a)(1) the claimed invention was patented, described in a printed publication, or in public use, on sale, or otherwise available to the public before the effective filing date of the claimed invention.


Claims 1-21 are rejected under 35 U.S.C. 102(a)(1) as being anticipated by Yang et al. (NPL titled “Realizing coherently convertible dual-type...” (June 28, 2021)), as evidenced by Olmschenk et al. (NPL titled “Manipulation and detection…” (2007)).
Regarding Claim 1, Yang discloses: A method of operating a quantum information processing (QIP) system (p. 1 c. 1: quantum computers/computing), comprising: applying, through an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with an electro-optic modulator (EOM) (p. 6 c. 1: we turn on different electro-optical modulators (EOMs) to generate the desired microwave sidebands; p. 6 c. 1: we use an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) controlled by a home-made direct digital synthesizer (DDS) to quickly change the carrier frequency; the Examiner notes that it is commonly known in the art of circuits that an EOM and an AOM would be electrically connected in series within the same quantum computer system to achieve the modulations as claimed, see e.g., FIG. 3 (pg. 052314-3) of evidentiary reference of NPL by Olmschenk et al. disclosing an electro-optic modulator (EOM) and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with the EOM in a quantum information processing system), a global optical beam to a plurality of dual-space, single-species (DSSS) trapped ions at a wavelength near a transition center (p. 4 c. 1, p. 2 c. 2 & p. 1 c. 2: 411 nm and 3432 nm lasers co-propagating with 355 nm Raman laser beams; FIG. 1: laser beams; p. 1 c. 1-2, p. 4 c. 2: we have experimentally demonstrated dual-type qubits that are coherently convertible to each other with the same species of 171Yb+ ions [single species]; FIG. 3 caption: “We initialize the S-qubit in |0>, drive the Raman transition between |0> and |1>”); and adjusting a drive tone of at least one of the EOM or the AOM to modulate the global beam to emit at approximately half of a S1/2 hyperfine frequency (p. 6 c. 1-2: To maintain the coherence during the qubit type conversion, we drive the two transition paths for the two basis states of the qubit simultaneously. This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM. We tune the carrier frequency of the laser to the central frequency of
the transitions and set the driving frequency on the EOM to be half of the frequency difference between the two paths; FIGS. 1c & 2: “coherent conversion between two qubit types of the S-qubit and the F-qubit. The two transfer paths are traversed simultaneously by turning on suitable sidebands for the hyperfine splitting”; p. 2 c. 1: Each ion can be in one of the two qubit types, encoded either in the clock states |0> and |1> of the S1/2 levels (S-qubit) or |0’> and |1’> of the metastable F7/2 levels).
Regarding Claim 2, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 1, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein adjusting the drive tone comprises adjusting one or more of a frequency, a phase, or an amplitude of the drive tone (p. 6 c. 1: we use AOM to quickly change the carrier frequency).
Regarding Claim 3, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 1, as above. Yang further discloses: driving at least a first channel of the AOM at a first frequency between 50 megahertz (MHz) and 350 MHz; and driving at least a second channel of the EOM at a second frequency between 4 gigahertz (GHz) and 6 GHz (p. 6 c. 1-2: This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM… using 3.62 GHz microwaves for the F-qubit (~4 GHz which satisfies claimed second channel driving frequency); p. 6 c. 1: To switch the role of the laser beam, we use an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) controlled by a home-made direct digital synthesizer (DDS) to quickly change the carrier frequency; FIG. 1b: 191 MHz frequency for F-qubit detection (~191 MHz satisfies claimed first channel driving frequency of AOM)).
Regarding Claim 4, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 3, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein driving the at least second channel of the EOM comprises: driving a radio frequency (RF) tone; and driving a microwave tone (see FIG. 3d; p. 3 c. 1: Then another 3432 nm pi pulse, again with suitable microwave sidebands, finishes the conversion to the F-qubit; p. 4 c. 1: we add a microwave pi pulse in the experimental sequence; p. 2 c. 2 & p. 6 c. 1-2: This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM…using 3.6 GHz microwaves for the F-qubit; the Examiner notes that it is commonly know that radio frequency tone possesses a range from 3 kHz to 300 GHz).
Regarding Claim 5, as best understood, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 4, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein driving the microwave tone comprises driving at a Valon frequency (fvalon) (p. 2 c. 2 & p. 6 c. 1-2: This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM…the F-qubit can then be operated by 3.6 GHz microwaves [microwave tone produced by microwave source]).
Regarding Claim 6, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 4, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein driving the RF tone comprises driving at a coherent frequency (fcoh) (p. 3 c. 1 & p. 2 c. 2: The two qubit types can be converted into each other coherently in less than one microsecond with suitable GHz microwave sidebands [RF tone]; 6 c. 1: to maintain the coherence during the qubit type conversion, we drive the two transition paths for the two basis states of the qubit simultaneously).
Regarding Claim 7, Yang discloses the method according to Claim 1, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein applying the global beam comprises applying the global beam having a carrier frequency that is an offset frequency (foffset) away from the transition center (p. 3 c. 1: an S-qubit can first be transferred to the D5/2 levels through a 411nm pi pulse [offset] with suitable microwave sidebands for|0> and |1> simultaneously. Then another 3432nm pi pulse, again with suitable microwave sidebands, finishes the conversion to the F-qubit).
Regarding Claim 8, Yang discloses: A quantum information processing (QIP) system (p. 1 c. 1: quantum computers/computing), comprising: an electro-optic modulator (EOM); an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with the EOM; and a light source configured to apply (p. 4 c. 1, p. 2 c. 2 & p. 1 c. 2: 411 nm and 3432 nm lasers co-propagating with 355 nm Raman laser beams; FIG. 1: laser beams;), through the AOM and the EOM (p. 6 c. 1: we turn on different electro-optical modulators (EOMs) to generate the desired microwave sidebands; p. 6 c. 1: we use an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) controlled by a home-made direct digital synthesizer (DDS) to quickly change the carrier frequency; the Examiner notes that it is commonly known in the art of circuits that an EOM and an AOM would be electrically connected in series within the same quantum computer system to achieve the modulations as claimed, see e.g., FIG. 3 (pg. 052314-3) of evidentiary reference of NPL by Olmschenk et al. disclosing an electro-optic modulator (EOM) and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with the EOM in a quantum information processing system), a global optical beam to a plurality of dual-space, single-species (DSSS) trapped ions at a wavelength near a transition center (p. 4 c. 1, p. 2 c. 2 & p. 1 c. 2: 411 nm and 3432 nm lasers co-propagating with 355 nm Raman laser beams; FIG. 1: laser beams; p. 1 c. 1-2, p. 4 c. 2: we have experimentally demonstrated dual-type qubits that are coherently convertible to each other with the same species of 171Yb+ ions [single species]; FIG. 3 caption: “We initialize the S-qubit in |0>, drive the Raman transition between |0> and |1>”); and a driver configured to adjust a drive tone of at least one of the EOM or the AOM to modulate the global beam to emit at approximately half of a S1/2 hyperfine frequency (p. 6 c. 1-2: To maintain the coherence during the qubit type conversion, we drive the two transition paths for the two basis states of the qubit simultaneously. This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM. We tune the carrier frequency of the laser to the central frequency of the transitions and set the driving frequency on the EOM to be half of the frequency difference between the two paths; FIGS. 1c & 2: “coherent conversion between two qubit types of the S-qubit and the F-qubit. The two transfer paths are traversed simultaneously by turning on suitable sidebands for the hyperfine splitting”; p. 2 c. 1: Each ion can be in one of the two qubit types, encoded either in the clock states |0> and |1> of the S1/2 levels (S-qubit) or |0’> and |1’> of the metastable F7/2 levels).
Regarding Claim 9, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 8, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the driver is further configured to adjust one or more of a frequency, a phase, or an amplitude of the drive tone (see rejection of claim 2 supra).
Regarding Claim 10, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 8, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the driver is further configured to: drive at least a first channel of the AOM at a first frequency between 50 megahertz (MHz) and 350 MHz; and drive at least a second channel of the EOM at a second frequency between 4 gigahertz (GHz) and 6 GHz (see rejection of claim 3 supra).
Regarding Claim 11, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 10, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the driver is further configured to: drive a radio frequency (RF) tone; and drive a microwave tone (see rejection of claim 4 supra).
Regarding Claim 12, as best understood, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 11, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the driver is further configured to drive the microwave tone at a at a Valon frequency (fvalon) (see rejection of claim 5 supra).
Regarding Claim 13, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 11, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the driver is further configured to drive the RF tone at a coherent frequency (fcoh) (see rejection of claim 6 supra).
Regarding Claim 14, Yang discloses the QIP system according to Claim 8, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the first light source is further configured to apply the global beam having a carrier frequency that is an offset frequency (foffset) away from the transition center (see rejection of claim 7 supra).
Regarding Claim 15, Yang discloses: A non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored therein that, when executed by one or more processors of a quantum information processing (QIP) system, cause the one or more processors to (p. 1 c. 1-2: quantum computers): cause a light source to apply, through an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with an electro-optic modulator (EOM) (p. 6 c. 1: we turn on different electro-optical modulators (EOMs) to generate the desired microwave sidebands; p. 6 c. 1: we use an acousto-optical modulator (AOM) controlled by a home-made direct digital synthesizer (DDS) to quickly change the carrier frequency; the Examiner notes that it is commonly known in the art of circuits that an EOM and an AOM would be electrically connected in series within the same quantum computer system to achieve the modulations as claimed, see e.g., FIG. 3 (pg. 052314-3) of evidentiary reference of NPL by Olmschenk et al. disclosing an electro-optic modulator (EOM) and an acousto-optic modulator (AOM) disposed in series with the EOM in a quantum information processing system), a global optical beam to a plurality of dual-space, single-species (DSSS) trapped ions at a wavelength near a transition center (p. 4 c. 1, p. 2 c. 2 & p. 1 c. 2: 411 nm and 3432 nm lasers co-propagating with 355 nm Raman laser beams; FIG. 1: laser beams; p. 1 c. 1-2, p. 4 c. 2: we have experimentally demonstrated dual-type qubits that are coherently convertible to each other with the same species of 171Yb+ ions [single species]); and cause a driver to adjust a drive tone of at least one of the EOM or the AOM to modulate the at least one Raman beam to emit at approximately half of a S1/2 hyperfine frequency (FIG. 3 caption: “We initialize the S-qubit in |0>, drive the Raman transition between |0> and |1>”; p. 6 c. 1-2: To maintain the coherence during the qubit type conversion, we drive the two transition paths for the two basis states of the qubit simultaneously. This is achieved by using the two first-order sideband frequency components generated by an EOM. We tune the carrier frequency of the laser to the central frequency of the transitions and set the driving frequency on the EOM to be half of the frequency difference between the two paths; FIGS. 1c & 2: “coherent conversion between two qubit types of the S-qubit and the F-qubit. The two transfer paths are traversed simultaneously by turning on suitable sidebands for the hyperfine splitting”; p. 2 c. 1: Each ion can be in one of the two qubit types, encoded either in the clock states |0> and |1> of the S1/2 levels (S-qubit) or |0’> and |1’> of the metastable F7/2 levels).
Regarding Claim 16, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 15, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the instructions for causing the driver to adjust the drive tone comprises instructions for causing the driver to adjust one or more of a frequency, a phase, or an amplitude of the drive tone (see rejection of claim 2 supra).
Regarding Claim 17, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 15, as above. Yang further discloses: further comprises instructions to cause the driver to: drive at least a first channel of the AOM at a first frequency between 50 megahertz (MHz) and 350 MHz; and drive at least a second channel of the EOM at a second frequency between 4 gigahertz (GHz) and 6 GHz (see rejection of claim 3 supra).
Regarding Claim 18, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 17, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the instructions for driving the at least the second channel of the EOM comprises instructions for: driving a radio frequency (RF) tone; and driving a microwave tone (see rejection of claim 4 supra).
Regarding Claim 19, as best understood, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 18, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the instructions for driving the microwave tone comprises instructions for driving at a Valon frequency (fvalon) (see rejection of claim 5 supra).
Regarding Claim 20, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 17, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the instructions for driving the RF tone comprises instructions for driving at a coherent frequency (fcoh) (see rejection of claim 6 supra).
Regarding Claim 21, Yang discloses the non-transitory computer readable medium according to Claim 15, as above. Yang further discloses: wherein the instructions for applying the global beam comprises instructions for applying the global beam having a carrier frequency that is an offset frequency (foffset) away from the transition center (see rejection of claim 7 supra).
Other Relevant Documents Considered
Prior art made of record and not relied upon is considered pertinent to Applicant’s disclosure: Bruzewicz et al. (NPL titled “dual-species, multi-qubit logic…” (2019)) and Pino et al. (NPL titled “Demonstration of the trapped-ion…” (2021)) disclose quantum information processing (QIP) systems comprising applying an optical beam; modulating one or more of an amplitude, a phase, or a frequency of the global optical beam; and providing beams to one or more dual-space, species trapped ions of the QIP system to transition the one or more trapped ions, and further satisfying some of the additional conditions as claimed.
Conclusion
Any inquiry concerning this communication or earlier communications from the examiner should be directed to SAMANVITHA SRIDHAR whose telephone number is (571)270-0082. The examiner can normally be reached M-F 0730-1700 (EST).
Examiner interviews are available via telephone, in-person, and video conferencing using a USPTO supplied web-based collaboration tool. To schedule an interview, applicant is encouraged to use the USPTO Automated Interview Request (AIR) at http://www.uspto.gov/interviewpractice.
If attempts to reach the examiner by telephone are unsuccessful, the examiner’s supervisor, WYATT STOFFA can be reached at 571-270-1782. The fax phone number for the organization where this application or proceeding is assigned is 571-273-8300.
Information regarding the status of published or unpublished applications may be obtained from Patent Center. Unpublished application information in Patent Center is available to registered users. To file and manage patent submissions in Patent Center, visit: https://patentcenter.uspto.gov. Visit https://www.uspto.gov/patents/apply/patent-center for more information about Patent Center and https://www.uspto.gov/patents/docx for information about filing in DOCX format. For additional questions, contact the Electronic Business Center (EBC) at 866-217-9197 (toll-free). If you would like assistance from a USPTO Customer Service Representative, call 800-786-9199 (IN USA OR CANADA) or 571-272-1000.




/SAMANVITHA SRIDHAR/Examiner, Art Unit 2872     

/BUMSUK WON/Supervisory Patent Examiner, Art Unit 2800                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           





    
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
        
            
    


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